The Pathfinder Foundation

The Pathfinder Foundation held its inaugural policy dialogue with the Chintan Research Foundation (CRF) of India at the Galle Face Hotel in Colombo. The discussion centred on the theme Strengthening Economic and Strategic Partnerships for Shared Growth”. It assembled an impressive gathering of industry experts, scholars, civil society organisation representatives, and key Sri Lankan officials. 

Bernard Goonetilleke, Chairman of the Pathfinder Foundation, and Dr Debajit Palit, Centre Head of the Centre for Climate Change and Energy Transition at the Chintan Research Foundation, delivered the opening remarks. Mr Goonetilleke highlighted the pivotal role that India’s industrial, digital, and economic growth could play in the realistic and sustainable development of Sri Lanka’s economy. Dr Palit echoed similar sentiments, stressing the importance of private sector participation, particularly concerning energy security.  

The event was attended by the High Commissioner of India in Sri Lanka, H E Santosh Jha, who highlighted (among many things) the ancient civilisational bond between the two countries, the potential for improved connectivity through air, land, and sea, and the urgent need to improve the India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement to meet current market demands. All these efforts aim to foster a non-reciprocal and outcome-driven relationship between Sri Lanka and India. Most importantly, he emphasised that this relationship is not transactional but should be grounded in long-term perspectives.

The dialogue focused on three key areas: Alternative Energy – Building a Shared Energy Future, Strategic Minerals – A New Frontier for Bilateral Resource Diplomacy, and Connectivity and IMEC – Bridging Shores and Opportunities. These topics were chosen considering their contemporary relevance, shared interests of both countries and the potential mutual benefit the two countries stand to gain.

The first session was moderated by Dr. R.H.S. Samaratunga, a Distinguished Fellow of the Pathfinder Foundation and Senior Economic Advisor to the Former President of Sri Lanka. It featured Dr. Palit, Mr. Harsha Wickramasinghe, Director-General of the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority, and Mr. Saliya Wickramasuriya, former Chairman of Ceylon Petroleum, as speakers. The session was held under the theme Alternative Energy – Building a Shared Energy Future,” with a particular focus on Sri Lanka’s carbon neutrality goal and the strategy to achieve it. Discussions included how Sri Lanka could learn from India’s policy instruments to accelerate renewable energy, potential cooperation between the two countries on this matter, and the necessity for a de-risking mechanism to better analyse and enhance the credibility of proposed energy development projects.

The second session was moderated by Mr. Rajendra Theagarajah, a Distinguished Fellow of the Pathfinder Foundation and former Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. It featured speakers such as Prof. D.M.D.O.K. Dissanayake from the Department of Earth Resources Engineering at the University of Moratuwa, Mr. Nimal Cooke, Executive Director of the Capital Maharaja Group, and Mr. Deepak Amitabh, Advisor to the Chintan Research Foundation. The discussion focused on Sri Lanka’s critical mineral resources, particularly the country’s unexplored offshore mineral deposits between its shoreline and reef. Other topics also included potential strategies for establishing an integrated value chain for essential minerals between India and Sri Lanka, as well as other strategic development opportunities emphasising sustainable mining practices and value addition.

The final session was moderated by Mr. Deepak Amitabh and featured Dr. Chavi Vasisht, an Associate Fellow of the Chintan Research Foundation; Mr. S. Premachandra, an International Port Management Consultant; and Mr. Saliya Senanayake, Group Chairman of Lanka Shipping & Logistics, as speakers. The topic highlighted Sri Lanka’s potential involvement in the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), with particular emphasis on the past successes of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in key projects, the challenges linked to implementing IMEC, and the economic benefits Sri Lanka could gain from joining IMEC.

The closing remarks were delivered by Dr. Chavi Vasisht and Dr. Dayaratna Silva, Executive Director of the Pathfinder Foundation, emphasising how clearly the various aspects of these topics were presented. Coupled with the active engagement of the audience, this contributed to the event’s successful conclusion and the prospect of it being the first in a series of such dialogues in collaboration between the two think tanks. 

The Pathfinder Foundation will continue to facilitate dialogue between related field experts, aiming to direct Sri Lanka towards a sustainable and prosperous future.